By Graham Hiley.
Wickham fans faced the agony of choice thanks to an embarrassment of riches on Saturday night.
There were so many top-class acts that they could not all be housed on one stage creating some tricky choices.
Possibly the biggest clash came at the end of the night when the ever-popular Levellers headlined the Big Top while Scottish powerhouses Skipinnish delighted the audience in the Little Top.
It was no easier earlier when punk-folk favourites Ferocious Dog growled through a powerful set while new supergroup Dream in Colours played an innovative show.
The Wilswood Buoys competed against the high-octane energy of Tankus the Henge while the previous conflict went from the sublime to the ridiculous – in the best possible way.
Sixteen-time Grammy Award winner Jerry Douglas produced a musical masterclass picking his way through a succession of intricate and beautiful songs.
That very much appealed to one half of the crowd. Those wanting madness and mayhem opted for John Otway still going strong after more than 5,000 gigs!
His version of House of the Rising Sun will never be forgotten – no matter how hard you try!
He explained the only reason he wanted a second Top 20 song (25 years after the first!) was to get the letter s the right side of the word hit!
While the Wilswood Buoys turned in a quality set in the Big Top, Jaz Delorean and his crew tore it up in the Little Top with their trademark vibrant showmanship.
Then onto the two most difficult decisions. Ferocious Dog have become firm favourites here, working their way up the billing over the years.
Their set was awesome from the exciting opener Iron Mike Molloy from their excellent new album Kleptocracy right through their trademark finale Slow Motion Suicide – probably their strongest version yet.
But down on the other stage four Wickham stalwarts came together in a fledgling supergroup Dream in Colours.
It is the brainchild of Show of Hands singer Steve Knightley who enlisted Johnny Kalsi (Dhol Foundation), Bennett Cerven (Troublenotes) and Eliza Marshall (Ranagri).
With so many varying styles of music combining, it is impossible to pigeon-hole this eclectic mix into one style of music.
But what a great adventure they are setting out on with strands of classic folk, indie folk and Indian influences. It just works… and wonderfully well.
And then to the close of a memorable third day with Levellers delivering everything expected – and more.
Right from the start they had the place bouncing, giving the crowd exactly what they wanted while Skipinnish celebrated their 25th anniversary with a superb set of celtic folk-rock.
It was the kind of night where fans yearned to be able to clone themselves to be in both places at once. But what a great choice to have…
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